Ha Giang province’s former education sector leader arrested for bidding violations

Former director of Ha Giang province's Department of Education and Training Vu Van Su was arrested on Wednesday for alleged violations in bidding for equipment for boarding students in 2017-2020.

Along with Su, 65, Tran Tien Bang, 58, former deputy head of the department’s finance-planning division, was also detained by the provincial police's investigative agency on charges of “violating bidding regulations causing serious consequences” per the Penal Code.

On the same charge, on December 16, 2023, the police detained two of Su's subordinates, Vu Thi Thanh Huyen, former head of the finance-planning division, and Vu Thi Thu Hoa, accountant.

The investigation results showed that in 2017-2020, during the process of organizing asset procurement for ethnic minority boarding schools and public primary and secondary schools with boarding students in areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions, the individuals took advantage of their positions and power to illegally interfere in bidding activities, causing huge losses to the state budget.

In 2018, Su, as chief of Ha Giang's Party Committee, director of the province's Department of Education and Training, and chairman of Ha Giang's council for the 2018 national high school graduation exam, showed irresponsibility; lax leadership, direction and management; and a lack of inspection and supervision, leading to serious violations in the organization of the exam in the province.

He took advantage of his position and power to influence his subordinates to increase scores for candidates against regulations.

At the same time, Su let many leaders of the provincial Department of Education and Training violate legal regulations in relation to the high school graduation exam cheating scandal.

Su's violations were determined to have particularly serious consequences and adversely affect the reputation of the local Party Committee, authorities, education and training sector, and individuals, causing public outrage.

Due to these violations, in November 2019, the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee decided to expel Su from the Party.